August 2014

Prime FREE FOR YOU

Celebrating Midlife and Beyond

August 2014

Life

Lens

through the

Taste of Summer Strawberry & Watermelon Salad

l

Learn to Enjoy Your Empty Nest

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August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

August 2014 Table of Contents Editor’s Notes

4

Quick Reads

6

Yard ‘n Garden

8

Your Garden Library

A Gracious Plenty

10

Filling Your Empty Nest

12

Money Wi$e

15

In Every Life

16

Business Profile: Tai Chi

17

Tinseltown Talks

18

Twinkle’s Eye

20

Good Food, “Bad” Land

25

Medicare

28

Medicare

29

Social Security

30

Puzzles

31

Moving Free

34

Prime Diversions

35

Calendar of Events

36

Off the Beaten Path

38

Strawberry & Watermelon Salad The kids are gone. What now?

Your Electronic Estate Disaster Preparations at Home

Normal Lloyd: From Villan to Doctor A Passion for Photography Dining in ‘Breaking Bad’ Territory Q&A

Is the Marketplace Working?

Prime FREE FOR YOU

Celebrating Midlife and Beyond

August 2014

Life

Lens

through the

Taste of Summer Strawberry & Watermelon Salad

l

Learn to Enjoy Your Empty Nest

l

Being an amateur photographer doesn’t mean Twinkle Smith’s photos resemble those of most weekend camera warriors. Exotic locales play a role, but her eye for color, form and detail help her create lasting, evocative images. (Story page 20) Cover photo by Bob Corley

Disability Facts & Faces

Stretch for Mobility August DVD Releases

Losing a Cat in the River

www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

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Prime

MONTGOMERY

July 2014 Vol. 5, Issue 4

PUBLISHER Bob Corley, primemontgomery@gmail.com EDITOR Sandra Polizos, primeeditor@gmail.com ART DIRECTOR Callie Corley, primemagdesign@gmail.com WRITERS Andrea Gross, Brian Hayden CONTRIBUTORS Niko Corley, Mark Glass, Mirabai Holland, Kylle’ McKinney, Bob Moos, Arlene Morris, Nick Thomas, Dave Toellner, Alan Wallace, PHOTOGRAPHERS Irv Green, Bob Corley SALES Bob Corley • 334-202-0114, primemontgomery@gmail.com Wendy McFarland, • 334-652-9080 mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com Prime Montgomery 7956 Vaughn Road, #144 Montgomery, AL 36116 • 334-202-0114 www.primemontgomery.com ISSN 2152-9035

Prime Montgomery is a publication of The Polizos/Corley Group, LLC. Original content is copyright 2014 by The Polizos/Corley Group, LLC., all rights reserved, with replication of any portion prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed are those of contributing writer(s) and not necessarily those of The Polizos/ Corley Group, LLC. Prime Montgomery is published monthly except for the combined issue of December/January. Information in articles, departments, columns, and other content areas, as well as advertisements, does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Prime Montgomery magazine. Items relating to health, finances, and legal issues are not offered as substitutes for the advice and consultation of health, financial, and legal professionals.

Consult properly degreed and licensed professionals when dealing with financial, medical, emotional, or legal matters. We accept no liability for errors or omissions, and are not responsible for advertiser claims.

EDITOR’S NOTE I bought my first 35mm camera when I was 23. Like our August cover, Twinkle Smith, I was introduced to the hobby by my dad. A twin-lens reflex model, Pop’s camera never met a family vacation, wedding, or friendly gathering it didn’t like.

“One day, you’ll be happy you have all these pictures,” he often said, as my siblings and I stared into the blinding sunlight, forcing smiles onto otherwise pained expressions, while Pop clicked photo after photo.

He organized the pictures, and later slides, into albums or carousels, creatively labeled “Panama City Beach,” “Jasmine Hill,” or “Our Little Baby’s First Birthday.” Though I lacked appreciation for it back then, thanks to Dad, much of our early and young adult lives are effectively preserved on film.

My brother Vic got the photo bug next, purchasing his first “real” camera (i.e. not plastic) in the late ‘60s at Capitol Wholesale downtown. He was a college student in Atlanta and the youth culture of the period was ripe for photos. It was a different time, when you could click away freely to your heart’s content without anyone thinking you were either a terrorist or doing surveillance work. One summer when Vic was home from college, his camera became the prop for an wonderful experience we both vividly remember.

It was election night for Alabama’s 1968 Presidential Primary, with George Wallace making the second of what would become four presidential runs.

Camera crews from across the country followed Wallace’s every move and, at 20 and 16 respectively,Vic and I were determined to be part of the excitement.

Showing up at Wallace’s election night celebration as a reporter/photographer team, camera in-hand, we were uninvited guests to the event at the Governor’s House Motel. Standing directly in front of Wallace as he spoke, rubbing elbows with national news media VIPs,Vic clicked away to his heart’s content as I took notes on the celebratory primary speech. We were up close and personal at a thrilling event that likely influenced each of us to continue what became lifelong pursuits for us both.

In 1975 I purchased my own camera to document a post-college trip to Europe my best friend and I had long promised each other we’d take. I remember all the sites we visited, from the Irish countryside to the Berlin Wall, from Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne to the Roman Coliseum. But even more significant, the photographs I took help me remember the faces of people we met along the way. The old Irish gentleman in Wicklow, the crazy Cretan bus driver, the friendly California students in Munich’s Hofbrauhaus.

As years go by and mental images start to fade, the trip photographs that have long adorned my office walls have become some of my most-prized possessions. Pop was right all those years ago. I’m so happy I have these pictures.

Enjoy this photo-packed issue of Prime!

Sandra Polizos Editor 4

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

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QUICK READS Quit Bugging Me! Tips on Coping with Bug Bites Warmer weather has folks venturing outdoors, and while the risk of running into a snake, bear or other menacing animal exists, the critters far more likely to be encountered in the great outdoors are ticks, mosquitos and other insects.

Many bugs pack a powerful bite or sting. Janyce Sanford, M.D., chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Dept. of Emergency Medicine, recommends an insect repellant with DEET, along with long pants and long-sleeved shirts, as the best way to ward off most pesky insects. DEET with a concentration of 10 to 30% is approved for use on children ages 2 months and older. Ten percent DEET will last about two hours, and 24 percent DEET lasts around five hours.

The best way to remove a tick, says Sanford, is to use tweezers and pull straight up in an easy motion. She recommends carrying an epinephrine auto-injector, commonly known as an EpiPen, when camping or hiking, for those who have previously had a severe reaction to a bee or wasp sting. EpiPens require a prescription from a physician and can be purchased at a drugstore. Sanford says a good first-aid kit is a must if you spend time outdoors. Ready-made kits are available at outdoor stores, or you can assemble one from materials on hand. Include assorted bandages and basic medicines such as Tylenol, Benadryl and aspirin. Albuterol will help those with group members who have asthma or COPD. Include a 1 percent hydrocortisone anti-itch cream, foldable splints, alcohol wipes and cleaning agents.

Doing Nothing Difficult to Do Most people are not comfortable in their own heads, according to a new psychological investigation led by the University of Virginia. The investigation found that study participants from a range of ages generally did not enjoy spending even brief periods of time alone in a room with nothing to do but think, ponder or daydream. Most participants found it difficult to concentrate and their minds wandered, though nothing was competing for their attention.

“Even older people,” said U. of Virginia psychologist Timothy Wilson, “did not show any particular fondness for being alone thinking.”

When asked to be alone in their own homes, about a third admitted they ‘cheated’ by engaging in some activity such as listening to music or using a cell phone.

Wilson and his colleagues are working on the exact reasons why people find it difficult to be alone with their own thoughts. Everyone enjoys daydreaming or fantasizing at times, he said, but these kinds of thinking may be most enjoyable when they happen spontaneously, and are more difficult to do on command.

“The mind is designed to engage with the world,” he said. “Even when we are by ourselves, our focus usually is on the outside world. And without training in meditation or thought-control techniques, which still are difficult, most would prefer to engage in external activities.”

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August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

Take Responsibility, Make Amends, Forgive Yourself Forgiving ourselves for hurting another is easier if morally obligated to hang on to those feelings. They feel we first make amends - thus giving our inner selves a they deserve to feel bad. Our study found that making “moral OK,” according to Baylor University psychology amends gives us permission to let go,” said researcher researchers. The research, published in The Journal of Thomas Carpenter, a doctoral student in psychology in Positive Psychology, is significant because previous Baylor’s College of Arts and Sciences. studies show that the inability to self-forgive The more participants made amends, the can be a factor in depression, anxiety and a more they felt self-forgiveness was morweakened immune system. ally permissible. Further, receiving “One of the barriers people face forgiveness also appeared to in forgiving themselves appears help people feel it was all to be that people feel right.

SmartPhone Apps Help Doctors Manage Pain Patients Mobile medicine is helping chronic pain patients cope with and manage their condition thanks to new smartphone apps, which can track patients from a distance and monitor pain, mood, physical activity, drug side effects, and treatment compliance.

According to Robert Jamison, PhD, professor of anesthesia and psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and pain psychologist with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, smartphone apps are helping pain specialists treat and monitor chronic pain sufferers.

Mobile technology allows for easy time-effective coverage of patients at a low cost, offering significant opportunities to improve access to health care, contain costs, and improve clinical outcomes.

At the American Pain Society annual meeting, Jamison presented results of his research that found that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy could significantly decrease pain levels, improve function, and decrease costs compared to standard care. A key feature of the pain management app is daily pain tracking in which patients are asked five questions about their pain, activity interference, sleep, mood, and overall status on a sliding scale of 1 to 10, and compare these with baseline ratings.

Should pain ratings significantly increase from baseline or reach 9 or 10, the patient gets an immediate response that the pain specialist has been contacted.

“The pain management smartphone app,” reported Jamison, “can deliver non-pharmacological, cognitive behavioral treatment as well as prompt patients to stay active, comply with therapy, and develop pain coping skills.” www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

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YARD ‘N GARDEN

Growing a

Garden Library

By Betsy Coley

I

f I could have just one book in my gardening library, it would be “The Southern Living Garden Book,” edited by Steve Bender. With more than 7,000 plant entries, 1,300 color photos, and 1,200 color illustrations, it has been called the single most authoritative source for gardening in the South. It’s the tome I reach for to get extensive information about a particular plant, ideas for a shade garden, trees and shrubs suitable for containers, etc.

There are many other books worthy of occupying your shelves. Here are several you should consider adding to your gardening library.

“Alabama Gardener’s Guide,” by Jennifer Greer This book tells the What, Where, When, How and Why of gardening in Alabama. After visiting more than 100 of Alabama’s best gardeners, Greer selected 173 plants that would make up a good, basic palette that would work in almost any garden in the state.

“The Southern Gardener’s Book of Lists: The Best Plants for All Your Needs, Wants, and Whims,” by Lois Trigg Chaplin Another book recommended by many of my gardening friends, one of whom takes it with her when she goes shopping for plants.

“Tough Plants for Southern Gardens,” by Felder Rushing This volume is like having a neighbor who knows a lot about plants. Those of you who heard Rushing’s gardening presentation in Montgomery last fall know he makes gardening seem like common sense.

While the previous books are specific to the South, there are many on particular areas of gardening.

“Instant Container Gardens and Easy Container Gardens; Easy Container Combos: Vegetables & Flowers; Easy Container Combos: Herbs and Flowers,” by Pamela Crawford Crawford has made a specialty of investigating the best plants and best practices for container gardening, including how to combine plants.

“Lasagna Gardening,” by Patricia Lanza This book explains a new system for creating bountiful gardens, with Lanza describing how to use layers of 8

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

Your Eyes are

hi story

EYE

F A C T S

• Heredity can play a role in certain types of Macular Degeneration.

• Investigate your Eye History by asking questions of your relatives, including grandparents, aunts and uncles.

• Knowing your Eye History will alert ITEC doctors to potential problems.

Roy T. Hager, M.D., F.A.C.S. | James D. Izer, M.D. Charles N. Robbins, M.D. | Richard M. Murphy, O.D. 4255 Carmichael Court N. Montgomery • 334-277-9111

8007 U. S. Highway 231 Wetumpka • 334-567-9111

For a free copy of ITEC’s Viewpoint newsletter call 334-277-9111.

Visit ITEC’s website at www.eyes-itec.com

readily available natural ingredients to create a garden bed. There is no digging, tilling, or weeding, which makes it a great solution for our prairie soil. I saw her present this system at a conference and she is the real deal.

“Passalong Plants,” by Steve Bender and Felder Rushing These are plants you won’t find in big-box store garden sections or even neighborhood garden centers. These are plants that have traditionally been passed-along from person-to-person, cutting-by-cutting, with helpful hints on taking care of them. Bender and Rushing write in a lively, chatty, humorous way about this special category of plants.

In addition to books, gardening magazines feature design ideas along with the latest in gardening news.

Alabama Gardener The latest issue of this magazine has articles on ferns, hardscape, containers, and tomatoes. In addition there is a list of Summer Destinations of the South, including public gardens. A Calendar of Events for the region is a regular feature.

Fine Gardening The August issue features solutions for dry shade, a plant trial of 78 Phlox varieties, and an especially interesting article on eight perennials that are platinum substitutes for oldies but goodies. The lush photographs are a feast for the eyes. flower Published in Birmingham with a national coverage, this magazine combines gardening and interior design. In the June issue, in a section labeled “design school,” James Farmer shows step-by-step how he creates a potted table arrangement that he later repurposes in the garden.

This is certainly not an all-inclusive list, but it’s a good start on a gardening library. No doubt other gardeners have their favorites, and we haven’t even started on web sites! We’ll leave that to a future column.

Betsy Coley is a Master Gardener with the Capital City Master Gardener Association.

For information on becoming a master gardener, visit the website, www.capcitymga.org or e-mail capcitymga@gmail.com. www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

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A GRACIOUS PLENTY

The Taste of Summer

S

ummer is peak strawberry season, the perfect time to enjoy one of America's favorite fruits. California produces almost 90 percent of the nation’s strawberries, the most plentiful season being May through August. Researchers have found that the ellagic acid in strawberries can help fight cancers, so eat up!

Summer Loving Strawberry & Watermelon Salad Servings: 4 2 cups quartered and cleaned California strawberries 2 cups diced watermelon (yellow and red, if available) 1/4 cup sliced fresh basil 1 handful arugula

Salt and pepper, to taste 1/3 cup candied walnuts or pecans 1/3 cup blue or goat cheese 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or balsamic syrup

Sherry vinaigrette: 1/2 cup sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 shallot, cut in half and sliced thinly 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

To make vinaigrette, bring sherry vinegar and honey to a boil in small sauce pan. In small mixing bowl, pour hot sherry mixture over shallots and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, whisk olive oil with shallots and add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large mixing bowl add strawberries, watermelon, basil and arugula. Gently add drizzle of mixed vinaigrette over strawberries, watermelon, basil and arugula mixture. Toss and season with salt and pepper, plate on desired serving platter or into bowls, then top with nuts, cheese and syrup to serve.

For additional recipes visit the California Strawberry Commission website, www.californiastrawberries.com.

Information courtesy California Strawberry Commission.

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August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

15th Annual Maine Event

Montgomery Area Council On Aging (MACOA) Lobster-inspired fundraiser!

Fresh or steamed lobsters for pick up.

Prepaid only. Must order by August 8th.

Pick-up locations, Friday, August 15 1) Main office, 115 E. Jefferson St. (3, 4 or 5 pm) 2) MACOA East property, Atlanta Highway near the Y’s Up and Somerset (4 and 5 pm). Look for the tent.

ALL LOBSTERS $25 Visit the website at www.macoa.org to purchase under the Donations tab.

For more information visit MACOA Facebook page, call 334-263-0532, or e-mail events@macoa.org.

Mr. Gus’ Ristorante M o n t g o m e r y ’s F i n e s t Italian & Greek Cuisine

Tuesday-Friday 11 am - 2:30 pm 4:30 - 9 pm

Saturday * 6 am - 2 pm 4:30 - 9 pm

6268 Atlanta Highway Montgomery AL 334-356-4662 *Where Montgomery meets for Saturday breakfast. www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

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FEATURE

Enjoying life as

Empty Nesters

By Lisa M. Petsche

ce Spa ilable Ava

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August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

W

hen the last of your offspring has left home, the adjustment can be difficult.

This may be particularly so if you have focused the majority of your time and energy on raising your children, or if you’re a single parent and now find yourself alone. Feelings of emptiness may be profound, and challenging to overcome. If you are in this situation, here are some suggestions that can help.

Be kind to yourself Recognize that it will take time to adjust to this new phase of life. Try not to dwell on the past, as it will keep you from moving forward.

Prepare a list Make a list of things to do when you find yourself feeling lost or blue. Include small indulgences to give you a lift as well as tasks or projects that will give you a sense of satisfaction (for example, de-cluttering various areas of your home).

Look after your physical health Eat nutritious meals, get adequate rest and exercise regularly. In addition to safeguarding your overall health, these measures will also help ward off depression.

Keep a positive attitude Stay positive about life and aging, and associate with people who have a similar outlook.

Nurture your spirit Write down your thoughts, feelings and experiences in a journal, chronicling your journey of self-discovery and growth.

Center yourself Do things that bring inner peace, such as meditating, listening to music or spending time in nature.

Find meaning and purpose Things that provide you with meaning and purpose include writing a family history, getting a pet, or helping someone you know.

Get busy Think back to former pastimes that perhaps fell away once you had a family – playing a musical instrument, for example – and revive one you think you might still enjoy.

Something new Take up a new activity, such as gourmet cooking, sculpting or yoga.

Community involvement Volunteer for a neighborhood association,

www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

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charitable or environmental cause, animal shelter or political campaign. If you miss being around young people, volunteer at a local school or community center or with a church youth group.

Plan trips Do this with your spouse or friends, or perhaps on your own or with a tour group, depending on your situation and preferences.

Enjoy our own company Cultivate solitary pastimes such as crossword or jigsaw puzzles, a hand craft, gardening or sketching.

Back to work If you’ve been out of the work force while raising your family, look for a job.x Back to class Return to school for a certificate or diploma, perhaps even a degree, or just take courses here and there for personal interest. Check out the offerings from the local school boxard’s adult education center as well as post-secondary institutions.

Make a date If you are married, go on regular dates with your spouse.

Get creative, trying new activities and types of food, or revisit activities from your courting years. Take turns doing the planning. This is a good chance to step up the intimacy and generate some romance and excitement.

Reach out Keep in touch with your offspring through modern technology. Learn to become comfortable with the communication methods they favor, such as texting, Skyping and using Facebook or other social media. Take the initiative in calling friends and relatives to talk or get together.

Seek help If you don't feel you're adjusting well to your new circumstances, seek support from a counselor.

The reality of being an empty nester may seem unsettling.

Whether you have an empty nest, or are facing one in the near future, with time, patience and trust in your resilience, you will successfully adapt and find yourself growing and enjoying life in ways you never imagined.

Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in Baby Boomer and senior health and wellness. She can be reached at lpetsche@idirect.ca.

Country Cottage Assisted Living & Memory Care

When a loved one’s needs become complex, care at home may just not be enough. The Cottage combines the intimacy of a home-like environment with high-quality personal attention to make sure your loved one is receiving the care she needs.

Now offering more Memory Care apartments!

CALL TODAY: 334-694-6270 Learn more at the new cottageassistedliving.com 14

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

MONEYWISE

Your Electronic Estate

I

f you use online banking, social media, save photos in the cloud, have an e-mail account or Dropbox where you retain important information, you have “electronic assets.” As a result, you also probably have potential electronic entanglements. Last month we started looking at preparation for the inevitable—the day when someone else Alan Wallace will have to manage or wrap up your affairs. This month we’ll look at the need to plan for the growing array of electronic relationships that might be affected when the user is disabled or dies. Initially you might think this is a silly idea.

“If something happens to me, my heirs can shut those accounts down or leave them dormant.”

But suppose one of those accounts is an individual checking or credit card account, with monthly debits coming out to pay for services, and the statement is delivered electronically to your email account.? Your heirs may not know about the financial account or e-mail account, may be unable to access them, or know to notify the financial institution. Money might keep flowing out for some time for services no longer needed or wanted.

How much money might drain away unnecessarily?

Have you accumulated frequent flyer miles or points in another customer loyalty program?

What are the rules for transferring those assets to someone at your death? Have you done what you need to so that they are not lost?

Suppose that your family wants access to your Facebook account to notify your friends that you have had a health change? Unless they have your login and password, they cannot, and you may not be able to tell them at that point. Furthermore, I understand FB shuts down accounts when it learns that the user has died. Suppose there is information there your family wants. How will they access it? Is your contact list in your smart phone? Can

your heirs get that information if they need it?

A growing number of people are storing photographs in the cloud or a Dropbox. If you are among them, do you want your family to have access to those photos if something happens to you?

If so, you better plan ahead.

The purveyors of electronic accounts (financial institutions,Yahoo, Google, Facebook, etc.) have legal agreements which users must accept before using the service. Therefore, access to the particular account is ultimately controlled by that provider under the terms they set. If the account user becomes incapacitated or dies, another person may not be able to step into their shoes and use the same account, even temporarily, without breaking the terms of the agreement.

Since this realm of electronic accounts is new and rapidly changing, users should think through the possible ramifications of each decision they make when opening and using them. Ask and answer the following questions. n Am I using this account or facility to transfer or hold resources (data, pictures, etc.) that my family might want when I can no longer access it? n Do others in my family need to know about this account or arrangement? If so, what do they need to know? n How will the provider’s terms and conditions affect my family’s ability to get into or retrieve things from the account? n What should I do now to make access to this account easier for my heirs later?

By planning ahead, you may save yourself or your heirs time, money, aggravation and actual loss of unique material you would like them to have.

Alan Wallace, CFA, ChFC, CLU is a Senior Financial Advisor for Ronald Blue & Co.’s Montgomery office, www. ronblue.com/location-al. He can be reached at 334270-5960, or by e-mail at alan.wallace@ronblue.com. www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

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IN EVERY LIFE

Disaster Prep Starts At Home

A

s August arrives, I think about Alabama’s history during tornado season, recalling my grandmother frequently stating, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” Public health experts recommend preparation for potential disasters, and have created checklist formats to help determine what is needed and how to create a plan. (Visit www.primemontgomery.com for these Arlene Morris resources.)

However, we often don’t take time to consider our individual situation and identify our most important needs.

Not only do we need to identify the safest locations in our homes and how to get there quickly, we need to have emergency supplies readily accessible when we get to that ‘safe place’.

A prepared backpack is a convenient way to grab personal items, medications, and a copy of important papers. You can store the backpack in an entryway closet or near your bed. A larger container of non-perishable food, water, and other supplies can be stored in or near your ‘safe place’. An ice chest makes a good storage container. When a disaster warning sounds, you can quickly remove the pre-stored items and reload the chest with ice packs, water, food, medication requiring cool storage, or other perishable items.

Your backpack should contain a brief history of any health concerns plus names, addresses and phone numbers of healthcare providers. A list of medications, dosages, times, purpose and who prescribed the medication is critical to prevent not having the appropriate medication to manage your health.You can carry a medication list in their purse or wallet, but place an additional list in the backpack in a zip-

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August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

lock plastic bag to prevent water damage. Including a week’s supply of medications is helpful.

Maintain medication freshness by keeping them in a plastic pill box divided for days of the week, placing the pill box inside a plastic zip-lock bag. When your medications are refilled or prescriptions changed, renew the contents in your emergency pill box.

A list of family contact information is critical to include in the plastic bag in your backpack. Families often create a plan to meet at various locations, depending on which area of town may be damaged.

Include this plan with your family contact information.

Cell phone chargers, flashlights, and weather radios that have an alternate power source such as from winding a handle, can allow you to contact family and to get information if the power supply is interrupted.

When planning for extra batteries, include sizes for personal products such as hearing aids.

Select one time a year (such as August) to update your plan with your family and the contents of your backpack, larger storage container, and nonperishable food items in your pantry.

If you can serve as a volunteer responder for a disaster, organizations request pre-registration to enable you to be contacted in case of emergency.

Volunteers can accept or decline at the time of notification. Both the Alabama Dept. of Public Health and the American Red Cross provide opportunities for those interested in volunteering as a disaster responder. (Visit www.primemontgomery.com for these links.)

Arlene H. Morris, EdD, RN, CNE is Professor of Nursing, Auburn Montgomery School of Nursing. Reach her at amorris@aum.edu.

BUSINESS PROFILE

Tai Chi Health Recovery Class Four years ago Enterprise resident Mel Prokiti began experiencing dizziness and vertigo, resulting in some falls. After observing a Tai Chi Health Recovery class, he began the course himself.

“When I started, I was walking with a cane. After six months,” Prokiti says with a smile, “I put my cane away. And I don’t fall down!”

Tai Chi is a series of exercises using slow, smooth body movements to achieve a state of relaxation of body and mind. Practitioners report improved Mel Prokiti health, as well as strengthening of their cardiovascular and immune systems. As an outgrowth of their Tai Chi instruction, the Montgomery chapter of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA saw a need for a Tai Chi-based series of movements tailored to people with chronic diseases, or those recovering from illness or surgery.

“Our Health Recovery classes were started based on our experience with older students,” said Elaine Webb of Montgomery, a nationally accredited instructor of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA, “particularly those with Parkinson’s or recovering from a stroke or surgery.”

The classes use Tai Chi movements, but are structured more toward rebuilding muscles, tendons and ligaments. But it’s not just improvement of physical ability Tai Chi’s Health Recovery Rosa Leggett with granddaughter Daisy. class provides.

“We’re also helping build new neural pathways,” said Webb, addressing memory problems that can develop as we age.

A demonstration at a health fair at her church brought Rosa Leggett to the Health Recovery class. Before she started, she used two canes to get around.

“The exercises made all the difference in the world,” she said. “I don’t use my walking canes anymore, my back doesn’t hurt like it did, I don’t take pain pills, I’m more flexible.”

“We saw people, primarily seniors, who were embarrassed by their limitations,” said Janet Hutto, also a nationally accredited instructor. “They were uncomfortable around other seniors and adults who were more able and fit.”

The Health Recovery class includes range of motion, strength and balance exercises, all with one goal in mind.

“We want to keep adults and seniors as confident, independent, flexible and painfree as possible,” said Hutto.

Following bypass surgery earlier this year, Rose Shook, normally a very energetic person, noticed she had little energy. She had practiced Tai Chi prior to her surgery, and enrolled in the Health Recovery class.

“At first I couldn’t bend my neck, I couldn’t turn my neck,” Shook explained, Rose Shook turning her neck. “It’s the best physical therapy ever.”

At times she has to sit and rest during the exercises, and she may not make it through the complete session.

“But if it hadn’t been for this,” she said, “I wouldn’t be where I am now as far as improving my energy level.” www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

17

TINSELTOWN TALKS

Norman Lloyd

Hitchcock to “St. Elsewhere”

By Nick Thomas

N “I do know one thing.

You’ve got to stay active as you get older.”

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August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

orman Lloyd is taking things a bit easy these days. This year, he currently has only one film waiting for release, and he limits himself to two tennis matches a week. Still, that’s not bad, considering the veteran actor, producer, and director turns 100, later this year!

“People are always asking me for the secret of long life,” said Lloyd from his home in Los Angeles. “Well, I have no secret and I suspect it’s partly luck. But I do know one thing.You’ve got to stay active as you get older. And tennis is a great way to do that. It helps to take away all the aches and pains.”

One of Lloyd’s memorable singles opponents, whom he first met in the 1940s, was a childhood idol.

“Charlie Chaplin loved tennis and I was invited to his home by a friend to play,” recalled Lloyd. “We became good friends, played regularly, and after would sit on his sun porch and drink a Scotch Old-Fashioned.”

Off the courts, Lloyd appeared in some 40 films and numerous TV shows, but was equally comfortable behind the camera as director or in the front office producing.

“Alfred Hitchcock hired me to direct many of his weekly mystery shows,” said Lloyd, who also produced more than 200 episodes between 1957-1965. “I’ve been directing and producing since my early days in theater.”

Lloyd and Hitchcock were no strangers on a train. The pair had worked previously on two films, “Spellbound” (1945) and “Saboteur” (1942). As a villain in “Saboteur,” Lloyd helped create a memorable Hitchcock sequence, staged from the lofty heights of the Statue of Liberty.

“Hitchcock recreated the arm of the Statue from the elbow up to the torch at full scale, on a Universal Studios stage,” he said.

“The closest I got to the real Statue during filming was the base.”

In a scene with Bob Cummings atop the Statue’s torch platform, Cummings lunges at Lloyd with a gun.

“Then I fall over the rail,” explained Lloyd. “Hitchcock was a master of ‘writing with the camera’ from his silent film days and wanted the scene in one take. So instead of cutting to a stuntman, he asked if I would do it. I was an accomplished tennis player at the time and quite athletic – not to mention being young and foolhardy – so I agreed to do a backflip over the rail!”

Out of camera view, Lloyd says a platform had been constructed to catch him, but the stunt was still risky.

“The platform was about 14’ high and covered with mattresses

Above: Lloyd in the 1942 film “Saboteur.” Left Center:With Hitchcock and and co-star Priscella Lane on the set of “Saboteur.”

Bottom Left: Lloyd (bottom row right) and the cast of the hit TV series “St. Elsewhere.” and a man was there to catch me and prevent me from rolling off. But in the scene, after I go over the rail, I grab onto a ledge and Bob tries to pull me up by my jacket, but the stitches begin to break and I fall. Hitchcock didn’t use any music in the scene, just the sound of wind which was brilliantly effective.”

On TV, Lloyd is best remembered as a regular in the groundbreaking 1980’s medical series “St. Elsewhere.” During the show’s six year run, he played Dr. Daniel Auschlander in more than 130 episodes.

“The show dealt with subjects never discussed before on television,” noted Lloyd. “To my knowledge, it was the first time that AIDS was featured. It also examined issues such as the expense of dialysis for patients, and other topics included religious themes. The writing was brilliant with a superb cast including Ed Flanders – I don’t think there was a finer actor in America – and Denzel Washington who went on to have great success.”

In addition to his accomplishments in entertainment and on the tennis court, Lloyd can claim one of the longest marriages in show business history – to stage actress Peggy Lloyd, who passed away in 2011.

“A couple of days before she died, she asked how long we had been married,” recalled Lloyd. “I told her 75 years and she said ‘It should last!’ I thought that was charming.”

As his milestone birthday approaches in November, Lloyd knows exactly how Peggy would want him to celebrate.

“My tennis friends and I are going to have a big tournament on my 100th birthday,” he said. “Perhaps at that age they may forgive me if I cheat a little.”

Nick Thomas (www.getnickt.com) teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, AL, and has written features, columns, and interviews for more than 400 magazines and newspapers. www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014 19

FEATURE

Twinkle Smith with her series of lifeguard shacks on display at Sadie’s Global Travel. Massive dunes (opposite) near Erg Chebbi, Morocco.

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August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

The World As She S ees It

By Brenda Robertson Dennis

W

.H. Auden, one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century, once wrote: “You owe it to all of us to get on with what you’re good at.” Twinkle Smith seems to be doing just that.

A Montgomery native, retired Anesthesiologist, wife, and mother of three grown children, Smith spent most of her adult life carving out a colorful and adventurous path, traveling the globe diving and photographing the world as she sees it. Her father, local pediatrician Dr. Bill Daniel, was an avid photographer, traveling extensively as a volunteer with Project Hope, an international healthcare organization providing medicine and volunteers to underserved countries.

During Daniel’s travels he captured scenery and moments with his camera, and would share these with family and friends back home. Though he entered and won several International Nikon photo contests, photography remained a hobby.

“We were all excellent models for him from birth on,” says Smith, referring to herself and her four siblings.

“He enjoyed not just travel but people photography. I inherited a lot of that from him. Not just the skill and the eye but the love for getting the feel for where you are.”

At age 10, Smith began taking pictures with a Brownie, getting her first real camera, an Olympus, for her 16th birthday.

“I was sure I wasn’t going to get a car, so I was pretty happy with that,” she laughs.

After high school she studied Marine Science at the University of the Pacific in California, where, during her course of study, she developed a love for scuba diving. A career shift to medical technology brought her back to Alabama and graduate school at the University of Alabama Birmingham, but the field left her bored. Finally, she bit the bullet, attended

www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

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medical school, and became an anesthesiologist. It was there she also met her husband.

They returned to Montgomery 30 years ago, and while it’s home, the world was her family’s playground. They took their children on diving trips to the Caribbean, and it’s become a passion the family shares to this day.

“I love to travel,” Smith says. “I think I watched ‘Adventures in Paradise’ too much when I was young. We would take the kids and charter a boat where we could get away from everything. There was no TV and I think they realized they could enjoy this thing together and get along.”

Half of her trips are dive oriented, and all involve a camera. She’s been to every continent but Antarctica, a place she has no interest in visiting. During her travels she captures extraordinary scenery and moments in time from such exotic locales as The Philippines, Thailand, Palau, Africa, Italy and Croatia. Smith long ago traded in her dark room for the convenience of a digital camera, with the colors and the composition of her works telling stories that require no words.

One of her favorite locations is Croatia and the Dalmatia Coast of the Adriatic Sea. To hear her talk about one of these trips is to be transported to the place itself.

“It’s the most beautiful place,” she says, almost in a whisper. “You take a boat and make stops at these places that are just wonderful. One time we walked through about midnight or so. There was a guy with a guitar, and one with a flute, and another with a violin. The moon was coming up and there was a breeze. It was just one of the most magical times. Walking back, I took a night picture that looks like what you see in old cities. It’s all limestone, but it’s been walked on so much that it looks like marble and it looks wet. Like it’s rained but it hasn’t.”

Like her father, Smith’s photographs are for her own pleasure, and for the pleasure of sharing them with others. They’re not published in international travel magazines or hanging in art galleries, though they can be viewed on occasion. Several hang in her husband’s waiting room at Jackson Hospital.

Some, from Thailand, are on loan to Sadie’s World Travels.

Smith’s aspirations are clearly to keep traveling, diving, and capturing the beauty of the world around her, just as she sees it.

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

Above: “Dubrovnic At Night.” One of Smith’s favorite locales is the Dalmatia Coast.

Left, top: Sandy Island, a tiny speck of sand off the coasts of Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the northeast Caribbean.

Left, bottom: A collection of Smith’s wildlife photos adorn the walls of Sadie’s Global Travel.

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FEATURE

Eating Good in the Land of

Breaking Bad Story by Andrea Gross Photos by Irv Green unless otherwise noted

I

’m standing on the observation deck atop Sandia Mountain, surrounded by sky the color of turquoise, paying homage to the Native American culture of Albuquerque, some 5,000 feet below. But today, since the city has achieved fame as the location of the award-winning TV series Breaking Bad, another metaphor comes to mind. My husband and I are surrounded by sky the color of crystal meth.

In fact, “Blue Sky” is the street name for the methamphetamine cooked up by America’s most famous fictional drug lord, Walter White.

The story follows White, a high school chemistry teacher, as he turns to meth-making in order to pay for his cancer treatments and provide for his family if the treatment fails.

While numerous companies give tours of Breaking Bad film sites, we choose to explore www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

25

Left: Shops in Albuquerque’s Old Town feature items related to their Indian heritage, plus goods related to the TV series, “Breaking Bad.” (Photo:The Candy Lady) Middle left:The Candy Lady’s bags of blue candy resemble the crystal meth cooked up by Walter White and his accomplices in “Breaking Bad.” Bottom left: Diners enjoy the food and music at El Pintos.

Right: Jane Butel’s weekend class in Southwestern cooking from her home north of Albuquerque.

A “Breaking Bad” spinoff titled “Better Call Saull” is scheduled for November on AMC. It will undoubtedly provide another high for addicts of the original series.

26

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

on our own. Our first stop: Albuquerque’s Old Town where, amongst galleries filled with Indian art, we find The Candy Lady, the small shop that produced the meth look-alike used during the initial years of the show. Later proprietor Debbie Ball began selling “Breaking Bad Candy,” a confection that looks like drug crystals but incongruously tastes like cotton candy. (Ball carefully explains that her candy is not promoting drugs, but rather a show that shows how destructive drugs can be.) We plunk down a dollar for a mini-bag of fake meth.

In search of something more substantive, we go to the nearby Dog House, a greasy-spoon place frequented on screen by White’s sidekick, Jessie Pinkman. We pass on the Frito pie, nibble on a mustard dog and move on to Garduño's, the site of a tense meeting between four of the main characters, who are so intent on their discussion that they leave the taquería’s famous guacamole untouched. How unfortunate for them. The dip is prepared table side, exactly to our liking. So far, it’s our drug of choice.

But we’re not as interested in Walter White’s dining habits as we are in those of Bryan Cranston, the actor who plays White. We head to El Pinto’s, which is not only a Cranston favorite but a favorite of politicians from the Clintons and Obamas to George W. Bush. Bush liked it so much he asked the manager to prepare a meal in the White House for a Cinco de Mayo festival.

Since the manager isn’t likely to come to our house to prepare a Southwestern meal, we decide to learn to cook our own. So on Day 4 of our New Mexico sojourn I find myself in Jane Butel’s kitchen, using a pair of tongs to lower a rectangle of soft dough into a deep pot of hot oil. Within seconds, the dough puffs up, a light golden ball of fried flour, a true sopapilla, ready to drizzle with honey and pop in my

mouth. I feel like a magician.

Butel is the acknowledged guru of Southwestern cooking, having starred in a weekly TV cooking show, served as a consultant for companies such as Del Taco and El Torrito, and written 22 cookbooks on Southwestern cooking. If that weren’t enough, she also helped Julia Child start her first cooking school in Paris. Now she holds weekend courses in her home, which is in Corrales, a few miles north of Albuquerque.

In short order we learn the following tidbits: n Mild chiles have broad shoulders and blunt tips, while hot ones have pointed tips. “The sharper the point, the spicier the taste,” says Butel. n If your mouth burns from toohot chili, numb the pain with sugar, acid or fat. Wise diners have learned to pair hot food with margaritas, which contain lime juice (acidic) or with cheese and sour cream, which contain fat. n Capsaicin, the substance that gives peppers their bite, has been shown to relieve headaches and arthritis, fight cancer and sinus infection, and burn calories.

Butel divides us into three groups and has us don new red aprons. As we drink and munch our way through the weekend, I become competent, if not

exactly proficient, at making perfect margaritas, to-die-for guacamole, and nachos with three kinds of salsa. On our final day we work together to prepare a main course that is as full of Southwestern color as it is of Southwestern flavor: red chile, blue corn and jalapeño skillet bread, and chicken fajitas with tri-color pepper sautéed

with pico de gallo. For dessert, we feast on our miraculous sopapillas.

We’re eating good in the land of Breaking Bad. With my newly acquired culinary skills, we’ll also eat good when we get back home. www.newmexico.org www.janebutelcooking.com

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MEDICARE

Medicare Q&A: Medigap; In Vs Outpatient Dear Marci, Will Medigap plans be sold through the Health Insurance Marketplaces? — Marcus Dear Marcus, No. Medigap plans, which are supplemental insurance plans that help pay out-of-pocket Original Medicare costs like deductibles and coinsurances, will not be sold through the Health Insurance Marketplaces. In addition, Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare prescription drug plans will not be sold through the Marketplaces.

Health Insurance Marketplaces were created by the Affordable Care Act as a way for uninsured or under-insured individuals to purchase health insurance. In general, people with Medicare should keep their Medicare coverage and should not purchase health insurance plans through the Marketplaces.

If you would like to learn more about different Medigap plans in your area, you can contact your local State Department of Insurance. If you would like to get more information about Medicare Advantage plans or Part D plans in your area, you can contact 800-MEDICARE or go online and visit www.medicare.gov.You can also contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to learn more about your Medicare options. To find the contact information for your local SHIP, you can go online and visit www.shiptalk.org. — Marci Dear Marci, What is the difference between a hospital inpatient and hospital outpatient? — Patrick Dear Patrick, A hospital inpatient is a patient who has been formally admitted into the hospital by a hospital doctor. If a patient has not been formally admitted into the hospital as a hospital inpatient, then he/she is generally considered to be an outpatient.

For example, if you are receiving care in the emergency room, you are generally considered to be a hospital outpatient, since patients in the emergency room generally have not been formally admitted into the hospital as a hospital inpatient.

If you are in the hospital, it’s important for you to know whether you are considered to be a hospital inpatient or outpatient, since this affects the way in which Medicare pays for hospital care you receive.

Medicare Part A, the hospital insurance part of Medicare, covers inpatient hospital care. If you have Original Medicare, the traditional Medicare program administered directly 28

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

through the federal government, you pay a one-time deductible for your inpatient hospital stay under Part A.You also do not have to pay a copayment or copay for the first 60 days of your inpatient hospital stay.

Medicare Part B, the medical insurance part of Medicare, covers outpatient care. If you have Original Medicare, Part B generally covers 80 percent of the cost of Medicare-covered health care services you receive and you are responsible for the remaining 20 percent coinsurance.

Note that if you get your Medicare benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan, also known as a Medicare private health plan, your costs and coverage may differ depending on your plan’s rules.

It’s best that you or a caregiver ask the hospital staff whether you are a hospital inpatient or outpatient during your hospital stay, so you can know how Medicare covers your hospital care. In addition, know that people with Original Medicare must have a 3-day inpatient hospital stay in order for Medicare to cover skilled nursing facility care after their hospital stay. Keep in mind that this may not apply to those who get their Medicare benefits through Medicare Advantage plans. Again, those with Medicare Advantage plans should contact their plan directly to learn more about their plan’s benefits, costs and rules. — Marci Marci’s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), the nation’s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. To subscribe to “Dear Marci,” MRC’s free educational e-newsletter, go to the website listed above.

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MEDICARE

Is the Marketplace Working?

By Bob Moos

I

t’s been six months since millions of American began to benefit from health insurance bought through the new federal marketplace, so it’s fair to ask: How is the coverage working?

Though analyzing the health care law remains a work in progress, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has taken a close look at both the affordability and the availability of the insurance plans purchased during the marketplace’s initial enrollment period.

By the end of enrollment, 97,870 Alabama residents had selected a health plan. Of those, 85 percent qualified for the tax credits available through the insurance marketplace. That financial help has made a huge difference for many consumers.

The government study found that Alabama residents receiving tax credits are paying an average of $76 per month in premiums for their new health care coverage – one-fourth of what they would have paid without credits.

Many people stretched their financial help by selecting health plans with amongthe-lowest premiums.

More than seven out of 10 Alabama residents receiving the subsidy are paying premiums of $100 per month or less. Half are paying $50 per month or less after the assistance.

Most people who shopped in a state with a federally facilitated marketplace had a range of health plans from which to select. On average, consumers had a choice of 47 plans, offered by five insurers. More than eight out of 10 people

“For every additional insurer selling health plans in a particular area, premiums were 4 percent lower on average.” could pick from at least three insurers.

The government study found that the competition between insurance companies for the new marketplace business helped to keep premiums down. For every additional insurer selling health plans in a particular area, premiums were 4 percent lower on average.

Getting health care coverage through the marketplace won’t be possible again for most people until November, start of the next open enrollment period. But there are special circumstances that allow you to shop for insurance between now and then: n you’re getting married; n you’re having a baby or adopting a child; n you’re moving to another area; n you’re becoming a U.S. citizen; n you’re leaving prison.

Losing health care coverage may also qualify you for what’s called a “special enrollment period” in the marketplace.

That loss of coverage may be because you’ve been laid off, or you’ve divorced, or you’ve aged off your parents’ health plan, or you’ve lost your Medicaid eligibility.You’ll have 60 days after one of those events to enroll in a new health plan.

If you’re a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe, you have more latitude under the health care law.You have the right to sign up or change

health plans in the marketplace throughout the year, though you’re limited to one change per month.

Also, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program accept applications for their low-cost health care coverage at any time. Unlike the marketplace, there’s no restricted enrollment period.

If you qualify, you can sign up for benefits immediately.

To learn more about how to get health insurance outside the marketplace’s regular enrollment period, visit www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-3182596.

More details about the next open enrollment period will be known as fall approaches. Federal officials have already announced plans to simplify the process for the 8 million consumers who purchased insurance during the initial enrollment period last fall and winter.

If you’re now insured, you’ll have three months – from mid-November until mid-February – to re-evaluate your coverage and make any changes. If, on the other hand, you’re satisfied with your insurance, you’ll be “auto-enrolled” in your current plan with updated premiums and benefits.

That essentially will bring the marketplace in line with employer-based insurance, where most customers are automatically enrolled in their plans year after year.You’ll need to do very little if your income and covered family members aren’t changing and your health plan is offered again for 2015.

Six months after its launch, the marketplace’s health care coverage is off to a strong start.

Bob Moos/Southwest public affairs officer for the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014 29

SOCIAL SECURITY

Facts & Faces of Disability

P

erhaps the most misunderstood Social Security program is disability insurance, often referred to as SSDI. Some people mistakenly think that beneficiaries are “on the dole” and getting easy money for minor impairments. That’s not the case. There are two ways to understand the truth about disability. One is by looking at the facts. The other is by getting to Kylle’ McKinney know some of the people who make up the many faces of disability.

We have some of the strictest requirements in the world for disability benefits.

The Social Security Act sets out a very strict definition of disability.

To receive a disability benefit, a person must have an impairment expected to last at least one year or result in death. The impairment must be so severe that it renders the person unable to perform any substantial work in the national job market, not just their previous work.

SSDI does not include temporary or partial disability benefits. Because the eligibility requirements are so strict, Social Security disability beneficiaries

30

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

are among the most severely impaired people in the country and tend to have high death rates.

In addition, Social Security conducts a periodic review of people who receive disability benefits to ensure they remain eligible for disability. Social Security also aggressively works to prevent, detect, and prosecute fraud. Social Security often investigates suspicious disability claims before making a decision to award benefits—proactively stopping fraud before it happens.

These steps help to ensure that only those eligible have access to disability benefits. “… a person must Americans place have an impairment a high premium on expected to last at self-sufficiency, but it least one year or is reassuring to know result in death. “ that Social Security disability insurance is there for those who need it the most.

As for the faces . . . there are so many people who benefit from our disability program. But for now, allow us to introduce you to a few of them. Meet some of the faces of disability — people who have benefited from Social Security when they were most in need — at the new Faces and Facts of Disability website, www.socialsecurity.gov/ disabilityfacts . They’re happy to share their personal stories with you.

Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached in Montgomery at 866-593-0914, ext. 26265, or by e-mail at kylle.mckinney@ssa. govn.

GAMES Across 1 Hardly hardy 6 Wind instrument 10 Minute Rice instruction 14 Caused 15 Title lover in a 1920s Broadway hit 16 Cartoonist Peter 17 Camp Granada chronicler Sherman 18 Hipsters who prefer old-school programming languages?

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26 Challenger, for one 27 NFL gains 28 One was written to Billie Joe 29 Bolted, say 31 Not 'neath 32 Shot 33 It's inspired 34 British bombshell Diana 35 Golf club used as a dance pole?

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59 Kind of acid 60 Mime 61 Part of Q.E.D. 62 "A Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length" author 63 "We should!"

64 Mates 65 Two-part curves Down 1 Carrying extra weight 2 Another round, perhaps 3 Goes off script 4 2006 World Cup champion 5 Colleague of Boris 6 Get out 7 Options above "none of the above" 8 Pointed end 9 Org. created by the 1964 Civil Rights Act 10 Iliac lead-in

11 Magician's way out, maybe 12 Whole number 13 Team lists 19 Fill the hold 21 Aphid predator 24 Type of malware 25 Bristle 30 Slow flow 32 Western star makeup 33 Pop-ups, e.g.

34 Cozy retreat 35 Had to wear the winning team's jersey, say 36 Decides 37 Viva __ 38 Like some files 39 Carbon-14, e.g.

43 Narrow cut 44 Scrubs 45 Puts away 46 Ricky Gervais' forte 47 Demands, as payment 49 "Zut __!": French exclamation 51 In front 52 Hoity-toity types 54 "Great Expectations" convict Magwitch 58 Stat for Clayton Kershaw 59 Busy one that has made its mark in this puzzle's five longest answers Š 2014 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, INC.

Answers on page 32. www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

31

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33

MOVING FREE WITH MIRABAI

Stretching For Mobility H Mirabai Holland

ave you tried to pick a coin up off the ground lately? How about tying your shoes? Have you switched to slip-ons? What about reaching over the coffee table to scoop some dip on the other side? Remember when you didn’t think twice about those maneuvers? Sounds like decrepitude is setting in.

Or maybe you’ve just lost

some flexibility.

Flexibility is range of motion around your joints. There are two types: n static flexibility (how far you can stretch and hold a body part); n dynamic flexibility (how much range of motion you have when you move).

Both are important. In fact I consider flexibility one of the three main components of fitness, along with aerobic capacity and muscle strength. I recommend a flexibility program that incorporates slow dynamic movements like Tai Chi, as well as static stretches like Yoga.

In my experience, flexibility is the most ignored component of fitness. We do our cardio and our strength training but, unless we’re regular Yoga or Tai Chi, practitioners, flexibility is not on the menu. Why not? There are a couple of reasons. First, I think we don’t get it.

Flexibility doesn’t make our muscles stronger or our figures shapelier. We don’t realize how valuable flexibility is until we try to do something we used to take for granted, like reach around to the back seat to get our sunglasses. Even then we toss it off with, “Well, I guess I’m getting older”. We somehow don’t connect with the thought, “ If I’d been doing a little stretching all these years, it wouldn’t have felt like I was going to rip something just then.”

Secondly, there’s been lots of press about conflicting studies on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of stretching. Some studies say stretching improves athletic performance. Others say they’ve proved the exact opposite. Some studies say Stretching helps prevent injury. Others say it has no effect on injury prevention. There’s enough conflicting buzz to make you not want to bother.

That’s too bad, because all that buzz masks the fact we do know stretching helps you gain and maintain flexibility.

Does stretching help prevent injury or aid athletic performance? I don’t care. I want to stay flexible as I age. I want to be able to pick up coins, tie my shoes and grab my sunglasses. Give 34

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

me my dose of flexibility training!

Even if we were flexible as kids, as we get older, connective tissues, our tendons and ligaments, tend to lose water, shorten, and become stiffer. So we get less flexible. But it’s not too late.

Even if you’re not interested in the fine practice of Yoga or Tai Chi, barring some medical issue, there’s a simple way to help hang on to the flexibility you have, and work on getting some of that youthful flexibility back. A few easy stretching exercises may be the difference between living tight and living flexible.

Mirabai Holland, M.F.A. is a public health activist and authority in the Health & Fitness industry, specializing in preventive and rehabilitative exercise.

Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn't feel like work. www.mirabaiholland.com

PRIME DIVERSIONS

Recent dvd releases Muppets, Oculus and Transcendence

Muppets Most Wanted (PG) — How can one not like a sequel (actually # 8 in the theatrical series) that opens with a big musical number mocking the historical shortcomings and disappointments of sequels?

Thus begins a true-to-form comical adventure with an array of gags strewn equitably along the age spectrum. As always, a surprising collection of celebs pop up for surprisingly brief cameos, adding greatly to the fun of these live-action people and puppet productions. Danny Trejo (Yeah. Machete, himself. That’s not a typo.) was my own favorite in that category, but the competition was delightfully stiff. Ricky Gervais plays the main human villain. That should please any members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association holding grudges from his zingers while hosting their Golden Globes show.

The plot involves a world tour that, unbeknownst to the diminutive “artists”, is actually a front for a major jewel heist, orchestrated by a master criminal who happens to look a lot like Kermit. That sets up several picturesque European locations for the fluffy flock, as stages of the sinister plan unfold.

The action is colorful and zippy enough for the youngest viewers, with plenty of clever tunes, sight gags and jokes for the grown-ups. In other words, every generation of the franchise’s fans will find exactly the kind and quality of experience they’ve come to expect, and walk out smiling.

Oculus (R) ­— This horror flick could either be seen as a mess of temporal hopscotching, or a filmschool exercise in trying to relate the stars’ sordid past to their scary, suspenseful present. Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites play adult siblings who were involved in their parents’ grisly deaths 11 years earlier. He’s spent the interim in prison; she’s been awaiting his release, and preparing to prove that a demon lurking in an antique mirror in their former home caused all the carnage, rather than her little brother. She plans to document the malevolent spirit’s existence as they try on those ghost-hunting “reality” TV shows, and kill that sucker for good, or banish it back to Hades, or whatever.

Director and co-writer Mike Flanagan careens between their current day and night of confrontation, and flashbacks to the fateful events of yore, sometimes mixing the two. The result may seem more confusing than compelling. One wonders if the evil presence is real, or the delusion of either of its pursuers.

The concept is solid. The scripted plan for proving and nailing the entity is cleverly orchestrated. The proceedings are gory

enough for genre fans. But the time-mingling format requires more effort to follow than the payoff justifies.

Mark Glass

Transcendence (PG-13) — Scarlett Johansson recently starred as the voice of a self-aware artificial intelligence entity who became Joaquin Phoenix’s “soulmate” in Her. Now Johnny Depp morphs into a computerized version of himself opposite Rebecca Hall, who looks a lot like Johansson (even co-starring with her in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona). Both sci-fi offerings try to dramatize the upside potential and downside perils of this seemingly inevitable tide in the evolution of technology. The former focused mainly on the intimate, individual level; this one aims for the macrocosm of global consequences of machines that think and feel, in addition to their current range of functions.

Depp plays an admirably humble, humane genius, whose marriage to colleague Hall is the envy of all who know them.

When he’s fatally wounded by radicals who fear the likely direction of their A.I. research, Hall and their closest friend (Paul Bettany) try to download his entire personality into an A.I. program, rather than lose the man they both cherish... as well as his scientific abilities.Yet the best of intentions and brightest of minds can’t foresee all the possible problems they might create.

Without disclosing too much plot, suffice it to say the transfer succeeds on some levels, but at substantial cost. The cyberversion of Depp amasses and collates data to great advantage - advances that could save lives and the planet. But his actions are less benevolent than he/it believes. The resulting dichotomy dangles interesting questions about our future - primarily whether we really understand what will be done with the capabilities we’re creating. Is our intellect making us merely kids with toys that are too dangerous for our understanding? Those with religious slants may find issues about the role of God and definition of life once we program machines that think and feel on their own.

The screenplay makes the premise intriguing for most of its running time, though much of the last 30-40 minutes drifts from the intellectual to the visceral, showing clashes that are more satisfying visually than thematically. Even with its flaws, the film provides a cautionary tale with food for thought. For proof of the production’s gravitas, Morgan Freeman is featured as one of their fellow scientists - always a good sign.

www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

35

IN AUGUST

“Stars on the Riverfront.” Alabama Dance Theatre, FREE performances, 7:30 p.m. August 3 and 4. RIverwalk Amphitheater. Classical and contemporary works. For more information call 334241-2590, or visit www.alabamadancetheatre.com. photograph that was taken by Alan Evans.

new daylilies with the AHS. Patton is retired, holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, and is former president of the Greater St. Louis Iris Society. Dr. Patton will bring plants to be auctioned after his presentation. Bring a covered dish. For information contact Terese Goodson, President, MADS, 334-288-6024, etbgoodson@aol.com, or visit www.montgomeryareadaylilysociety.com Alabama Dance Theatre Fall Classes, starting August 18. Classes in classical ballet, pointe, pre-ballet (beginning at age 3), modern, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary and tap.

Company Auditions for the ADT will be Sunday, August 17.

Classes held at the Armory Learning Arts Center, 1018 Madison Ave. For registration or more information call 334-2412590, or visit www.alabamadancetheatre.com.

Farmer’s Market, the Shoppes at EastChase.

Each Saturday through August 30, 7 a.m.-noon. For more information call 334-279-6046.

Montgomery Area Daylily Society (MADS), Saturday, August 16, noon. FREE. Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2130 Bell Rd., Montgomery (between Monticello Dr. and Vaughn Rd.). Guest speaker Dr. Jerry Patton of J&J Daylilies, Bridgeport, Alabama. foremost daylily hybridizer with more than 60 36

August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

“National Senior Citizens Day,” hosted

by CaraVita Village, Thursday, August 21, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., 4000 Fieldcrest Dr., Montgomery. FREE, open to the Public. Light refreshment, door prizes, age-related resources available regarding hearing, cancer, heart disease and more. For information call 334-284-0370.

“Fried Green Tomatoes” screening, Capri Theatre, August 28.

Benefit for Friends of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion supporting the preservation of the historic Governor’s mansion. Festivities include themed hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction starting at 6:30 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the Governor’s Mansion Gift Shop, Sandra Nickel Reality, at the door the night of the event while supplies last, or from board members. Proceeds will support restoration projects at the mansion.

The Friends of the Governor’s Mansion is a non-profit organization that works to ensure the preservation of the historic Alabama Governor’s Mansion Complex located on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery’s Garden District. The

property has served as the official residence of the Alabama governor since 1951.

Learn more at www. facebook.com/foagm.

FREE seminar on Veterans Improved Pension with Aid and Attendance, hosted

by Wesley Gardens, Thursday, Sept. 4, 6:30 p.m, Richard Garrett speaker. Wesley Gardens Life Enrichment Center, 1555 Taylor Rd., Montgomery.

Space is limited. RSVP to 334-272-7917.

Family Guidance Center 5K and 10K benefit runs, Saturday, Sept. 13. Race day registration begins at 6 a.m., opening ceremony and warm-ups at 7 a.m. by the fountain at The Shoppes at Eastchase. . Race begins at 7:30 a.m. Food, door prizes, free massages following the race. Must register by Friday, Sept., 5, to guarantee receipt of an event T-shirt. For more information call 334-279-6046 or visit www.theshoppesateastchase.com.

Harbor Pointe Lake Martin’s BEST Marina!

• Crest Pontoons, Four Winns plus other brands of quality boats • Boat Sales & Service • Wet & Dry Storage • Ship Store

397 Marina Point Rd. Dadeville, AL 36853 • 256-825-0600

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Alabama History: Architreats Food for Thought. August 21, AL Dept. of Archives & History.

Noon-1 p.m. Treaty of Fort Jackson, Kathryn Braund.

Bring your lunch. For information visit www.archives.alabama. gov/

www.primemontgomery.com | August 2014

37

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Lost Cat

38

"Hold it," he said, the stern floating off the trailer, its lights an eerie scarlet beneath the water. He cranked the motor and backed off into the damp darkness in a cloud of two-stroke smoke.

"Got a light?" his voice echoed off the shoreline trees.

“Meet ya at the dock. Watch out for ol’ red eyes," he said.

Not a week before, he'd dispatched a fifteen foot gator at the base of the ramp. The warden had been called at the sound of shots, but self defense had been the plea. I swallowed hard, trying to convince myself we were safe as long as the gators stayed in the water, and we stayed in now small-looking 14-foot boat.

Idling cautiously through the stump-filled slough, our spotlights moved back and forth in search of deadhead logs, limb-lines hanging from the canopy overhead, and of course, pairs of red eyes. When we reached the main channel he turned the bow into the current of the open water, pushed the throttle lever down, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

We were after catfish, and Ted was the best "cat man" I knew, happy just to fish all night and drink cold CocaCola. From the photos he kept in a book on the dash of the truck, I had hopes of hooking into a behemoth.

As we rode upriver, a billion-candle moon illuminated our path better than any spotlight. I settled in for the ride, enjoying the night air whipping past, a brief, welcome respite from hundred degree days. Before taking my seat on the bow, I slipped on a pair of safety glasses.

Spend much time riding in a boat on a summer night, and you learn quickly the mosquito you swat on land and the mosquito that smacks you in the eye at forty miles an hour are two entirely different creatures.

I had barely gotten comfortable before the stern begin to drop, the bow rise, and our progress slow. We had reached our destination, a sharp, deep bend riddled with snags.

"Ease in the anchor when I tell you," Ted said, staring at the sonar display. "Okay ... now."

The hook, ten feet of chain, then 60, 70, 80 feet of rode went down as we drifted back. The anchor drug the bottom, then stuck, and I made it fast to the bow cleat.

Sweat began to bead again on my forehead and I turned back for further orders. Ted's Zippo struck flame, showing his stub cigar along with a cockroach on the center console.

"No quarter," he growled, flicking the roach over the August 2014 | www.primemontgomery.com

port gunwale, then turning to me. “Hand me that old cooler."

As I readied the rods, Ted readied the bait. I passed him the first rod, a broom-handle thick seven-foot Ugly Stik mated to a Penn 209, the kind with the level-wind and a bait clicker, as tough and simple a reel as was ever made. Ted's hands emerged from the cooler with a fistsized chunk of mullet he threaded on the 8-ought circle hook and tossed into a swirling eddy behind the boat.

With rods readied and in their holders, we engaged the bait clickers, placed the reels in free spool so the fish could run, and leaned back in our chairs to wipe our brows.

"This been a good spot for you?" I asked.

"Sixty pounder three nights back," he replied, "and they weren't pulling near as much water as tonight."

When you can fish as much as Ted you get good at it, timing trips around peak flow and consistently catch large fish.

"Tick," went the reel in front of me. Ted looked at the reel, then at me.

"Could be the current,” he said. “Could be the boat rockin', or squealers peckin' at it.”

"Tick tick," the reel replied, defiantly. Ted watched it in silence.

"Tick tick tick ... tick ... tick tick ... tick tick tick ... tickzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzttt."

The bait clicker roared to life, line peeled off the reel steadily and the rod arched toward the water. I grabbed it and leaned back hard to drive the hook home, nearly falling out of the boat.

Instead of a heavy pull at the end of the line, an endless tangle of monofilament had grown from the reel. In my excitement I'd forgotten you don't 'set' a circle hook.

"Huh," Ted said flatly. "Bite like that comes maybe once a night. Probably a reeeeal big blue."

"What now?" I asked.

Niko Corley "Now," he said, taking a long sip of his Coke and settling back in his chair, "now, we wait.”

Niko Corley spends his free time on the water or in the woods, and earned his charter boat license in 2012. He can be contacted at cootfootoutfitters@gmail.com.

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Call 334-651-0666 today to ask about our $750 Move In Special!*

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39

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